Fiona Drysdale

Year of Call: 2002

She is extremely helpful, provides clear advice and is hands-on" and "Very approachable and friendly, always has time to listen to you and talk through things.

Chambers UK Bar 2018

Fiona Drysdale has an extensive civil practice specialising in personal injury and professional negligence. She acts for both pursuers and defenders and has expertise in catastrophic injury cases arising from medical negligence and road traffic accidents. She has particular experience acting for those who lack capacity and children. She appears in fatal accident inquiries and has a special interest in professional conduct cases. Fiona is ranked in the Chambers UK Bar 2018 which states that “She is extremely helpful, provides clear advice and is hands-on” and “Very approachable and friendly, always has time to listen to you and talk through things.” She is ranked in the Legal 500 2017 for Personal injury and Clinical Negligence as Tier 1 which states that “she is hardworking with a very detailed approach”.

Recent Cases

Case name withheld
For defenders. Failure to diagnose cancer by orthopaedic surgeon following fracture to tibia and fibula leading to high above knee amputation. Case settled extra-judicially.

Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of John Johnson 2009
For Fife Health Board. A case involving complications of PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) tube insertion including perforation of the colon and an infection from a TPN feeding line. Formal findings only.

Case name withheld
For defender. A fatal case concerning a failure by a Consultant Cardiologist to diagnose myocardial ischaemia and myocardial infraction. Case settled extra-judicially.

Case name withheld
For pursuers. A multi-party fatal case concerning the failure to diagnose DVT by a Consultant Physician. Case settled extra-judicially.

Case name withheld
For pursuers. A multi-party fatal case concerning failure to investigate a bowel obstruction by a General Physician in a patient suffering from multiple sclerosis. Case settled extra-judicially.

Case name withheld
For defender. Road traffic accident resulting in catastrophic injuries including a severe traumatic brain injury, spastic quadriplegia and psychiatric injury. Multiple heads of claim and defences of life expectancy and contributory negligence that the pursuer ought to have seen the car driven by the defender as it approached and failed to cross the carriageway quickly. Case settled extra-judicially with a multimillion pound settlement.

Case name withheld
For pursuer. Road traffic accident resulting in multiple injuries including severe traumatic brain injury to a child aged 15. The defender was her brother, the driver of the vehicle who was in loco parentis at the time of the accident. Contributory negligence for failure to wear a seatbelt. Multiple heads of claim. Case settled extra-judicially with a multimillion pound settlement.

Case name withheld
Road traffic case with two fatalities. For 2nd pursuer, as father and guardian of his daughter, aged 10 injured in a road traffic accident in which her mother and grandmother died and sister (1st pursuer) was injured. Her mother’s partner was the driver and the defender. Multiple injuries. Case settled extra-judicially.

Halkett v South Ayrshire Council, 2008 GWD 21-35
For pursuer. A case involving an acceleration and exacerbation of a tennis elbow condition arising from a council road worker. Manual Handling Operations 1992. Liability and quantum. Damages awarded to the pursuer.

McFarlane v Thain, [2005] CSOH 22
For second defender. A case relating to a road traffic accident in which another driver was unlicensed and uninsured. Conducted procedure roll.

Shaw v Russell, 10 May 2004, Rep LR 99
For pursuer. Jury trial relating to a road traffic accident in which a motorcycle pillion passenger suffered multiple injuries including amputation of an arm. Highest jury award of solatium as at 2004.

Admitted to the Faculty of Advocates after training with Peter Gray QC and Louise Milligan, Advocate 2002

Legal Translator, Court of Justice of the European Communities 2000 – 2001

Solicitor, Maclay, Murray & Spens, Edinburgh 1998 – 2000

Traineeship with Maclay, Murray & Spens, Edinburgh and London 1996 to 1998

Court and Tribunal Experience

She regularly appears in the Outer House and Inner House of the Court of Session, Sheriff Court and Fatal Accident Inquiries.

Publications

Publications

Fiona has contributed to drafting materials for use in the Faculty of Advocates Training Course and the Diploma in Legal Practice at the University of Edinburgh.

Lectures

Fiona lectures in personal injury at the University of Edinburgh where she is also a tutor in Civil Court Practice. She is an Advocacy Skills Instructor on the Faculty of Advocates Training Course. She has delivered seminars to solicitors on a wide range of subjects including personal injury, clinical negligence and advocacy skills.